There was a time when it appeared rather inevitable that Gedion Zelalem would succeed at Arsenal.

Hailed in some quarters as “the new Fabregas” and possessing the ability to unlock defences with killer passes, it seemed a matter of when, rather than if the talented youngster would become a first-team regular.

It hasn’t worked out like that, at least not yet. Zelalem hasn’t been provided with much of a chance in the first-team this season, so he has now completed a loan move to VVV Venlo until the end of the campaign.

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Here’s a look at the key factors behind why Zelalem hasn’t made the breakthrough at Arsenal yet.

Competition for places

The most obvious reason why Zelalem has found his game time so limited is the amount of players ahead of him.

Even with Jack Wilshere out on loan and Santi Cazorla having suffered with injury, Zelalem has still been behind the likes of Granit Xhaka, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey in the pecking order at the club, while Alex Iwobi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can also play centrally if needed.

If a player as talented as Wilshere is unable to command a regular place in the Arsenal starting line-up then it is easy to see why Zelalem can’t get a look in.

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Frustration at Rangers

Zelalem spent last season on loan at Rangers and, while he featured prominently, making 28 appearances across all competitions, the midfielder’s loan spell in Scotland couldn’t be described as a total success.

The youngster, as he is so skilled at doing, played some excellent passes, but he didn’t receive as much game time as he would have liked as the campaign dragged on.

Had Zelalem enjoyed a hugely successful spell at Rangers then Arsene Wenger may have been more inclined to give him first-team minutes, but the fact that he was unable to fully impose himself has meant that he wasn’t able to walk straight into the senior squad upon returning to Arsenal.